This invention relates to integrated semiconductor devices and systems, and more particularly to features used in an electronic digital processing system which may employ a single-chip microprocessor or microcomputer device.
A microprocessor device is a central processing unit or CPU for a digital processor which is contained in a single semiconductor integrated circuit, usually fabricated by "MOS/LSI" technology as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,306 issued to Gary W. Boone and assigned to Texas Instruments. The Boone patent shows an 8-bit CPU on a chip including a parallel ALU, a register stack, an instruction register and a control decoder, all interconnected using a bidirectional parallel bus. The term microprocessor usually refers to a device which employs external memory for program and data storage, while the term microcomputer refers to such a device which has on-chip ROM and RAM for program and data storage; the terms are also used interchangeably, however, U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,351, issued to Gary W. Boone and Michael J. Cochran, assigned to Texas Instruments, shows a single-chip "microcomputer" type device which contains a 4-bit parallel ALU and its control and circuitry with ROM and RAM for program and data storage.
Subsequent to the time U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,757,306 and 4,074,351 were originally filed many improvements have been made in microprocessors and microcomputers to multiply the speed and capabilities of these devices and reduce the cost of manufacture. Generally, the trend in the semiconductor industry is toward providing more circuitry in less space, i.e., smaller chip size. As photolithographic techniques are improved the line widths and resolutions are improved, providing added density, but circuit and system improvements also contribute to the goals of increased performance with smaller chip size. Some of these improvements in microprocessors are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents, all assigned to Texas Instruments: 3,991,305 issued to Edward R. Caudel and Joseph H. Raymond Jr.; 4,156,927 issued to David J. McElroy and Graham S. Tubbs; 3,934,233 issued to R. J. Fisher and G. D. Rogers; 3,921,142 issued to J. D. Bryant and G. A. Hartsell; 3,900,722 issued to M. J. Cochran and C. P. Grant; 3,932,846 issued to C. W. Brixey et. al.; 3,939,335 issued to G. L. Brantingham, L. H. Phillips and L. T. Novak; 4,125,901 issued to S. P. Hamilton, L. L. Miles, et. al.; 4,158,432 issued to M. G. VanBavel; 3,757,308 and 3,984,816.
The demand for additional capabilities in microprocessor devices at lower cost continues, however, in spite of the advances which have been made in these technologies in recent years. Of course, not only the parts cost is of concern; the major concern is in lowering the cost of software and the amount of memory needed to store the programs, as well as the execution time for complex programs.
Examples of some of the various microprocessor and microcomputer devices in this evolution of the technology are described in publications as well as the above-mentioned patents. In Electronics, Sept. 25, 1972, p. 31-32, a 4-bit P-channel MOS microcomputer with on-chip ROM and RAM is shown which is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,305. Two of the most widely used 8-bit microprocessors like that of U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,306 are described in Electronics, Apr. 18, 1974 at pp. 88-95 (the Motorola 6800) and pp. 95-100 (the Intel 8080). A microcomputer version of the 6800 is described in Electronics, Feb. 2, 1978 at pp. 95-103. Likewise, a single-chip mircrocomputer version of the 8080 is shown in Electronics, Nov. 25, 1976 at pp. 99-105 and a 16-bit microprocessor evolving from the 8080 is described in Electronics, Feb. 16, 1978, pp. 99-104. Another single-chip microcomputer, the Mostek 3872, is shown in Electronics, May 11, 1978, at pp. 105-110. A microprocessor which is particularly adapted for digital processing of real-time analog signals, the Intel 2920, is shown at Electronics, Mar. 1, 1979, pp. 105-110. An improved version of the 6800 is disclosed in Electronics, Sept. 17, 1979 at pp. 122-125, while a 16-bit microprocessor identified as the 68000 which evolved from the 6800 is described in Electronic Design, Sept. 1, 1978 at pp. 100-107. Floating point arithmetic is performed in a 16-bit processor called the 8087, used as a co-processor with the 8086, as described in Electronics, May 8, 1980, pp. 114-121.
It is therefore the principal object of the invention to provide an improved microprocessor device and system, and an improved method of constructing and operating such apparatus. Another object is to provide improved performance or capabilities of a microprocessor or microcomputer while at the same time reducing the size (and thus cost) of the semiconductor device needed to implement the desired features. A further object is to increase the speed of execution of instructions, particularly by making use of pre-fetch of a new instruction while the current instruction is still being executed.